Crimping assembly for rimmed containers having a flexible cover sheet

ABSTRACT

A pair of feed members are rotatably mounted adjacent each other for supporting and feeding a rimmed container having a flexible cover sheet folded over the rim structure thereof. First and second crimping means are movably mounted on one of the feed members. The first crimping means presses the folded cover sheet material beneath the leading rim of the container passing between the rotating feed members. The second crimping means presses the folded cover sheet material beneath the trailing rim of the container passing between the rotating feed members. Movement of the first and second crimping means is effected with respect to the feed member to sequentially engage the flexible cover sheet first below the leading rim of the container and then below the trailing rim of the container. Various types of removable elements are used in conjunction with the crimping assembly so that it may be adapted to various sized and shaped containers. A lateral side crimping means may be used to press the folded cover sheet material beneath the laterally projecting rims which may extend in the direction of movement of the container as it passes between the rotating members.

United States Patent 1 Anderson et al.

[ Aug. 7, 1973 CRIMIING ASSEMBLY FOR RIMMED CONTAINERS HAVING A FLEXIBLE COVER SHEET [75] Inventors: Andrew W. Anderson, West Caldwell; Adam Szura, Jr., Rutherford, all of NJ.

[73] Assignee: Scandia Packaging Machinery Company, Clifton,

221 Filed: Mar. 3, 1912' [21] Appl. No.: 231,685

[51] Int. Cl B65b 7/16 [58] Field of Search 53/329, 333, 287, 53/345 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,l 16,580 l/l964 Anderson 53/329 3,138,906 6/1964 Anderson 53/329 X Primary Examiner-Travis S. McGehee Attorney-Neil F. Markva et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A pair of feed members are rotatably mounted adjacent each other for supportingand feeding a rimmed container having a flexible cover sheet folded over the rim structure'thereof. First and second crimping means are movably mounted on one of the feed members. The first crimping means presses the folded cover sheet material beneath the leading rim of the container passing between the rotating feed members. The second crimping means presses the folded cover sheet material beneath the trailing rim of the container passing between the rotating feed members. Movement of the first and second crimping means is effected with respect to the feed member to sequentially engage the flexible cover sheet first below the leading rim of the container and then below the trailing rim of the container. Various types of removable elementsare used in conjunction with the crimping assembly what it may be adapted to various sized and shaped containers. A lateral side crimping means may be used to press the folded cover sheet material beneath the laterally projecting rims which may extend in the direction of movement of the container as it passes between the rotating members.

13 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAUG H973 SHEET 1 [IF 4 N 6F 5 m Dll I mm P HI I III H [I H [I II I PATENIED AUG 7 7 SHEET '4 OF 4 CRIMIING ASSEMBLY FOR IRIMMEID CONTAINERS HAVING A FLEXIBLE COVER SHEET BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A prior art crimping assembly using a pair of rotatably mountedfeed members is disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,l 16,580. This particular structure is used to support and feed a rimmed container having a flexible cover sheet folded over the rim structure thereof. In this prior art structure, one of the feed rollers includes a recess to receive a tray container having a rim structure disposed completely therearound. The flexible cover sheet is folded over the rim structure in operations preceding the crimping assembly. I

The prior art crimping assembly includes a fixedly disposed crimping surface that extends along lateral rim portions of the container as well as the leading rim portion thereof. A movable crimper member is mounted to engage the folded trailing edge of the cover sheet so that the folded edge may be pressed beneath the rim of the trailing side of the container as it passes between the rotating feed rollers.

Although this structure has proven to be quite effective, it has proven to be somewhat undesirable in its ability to adapt to various sizes and shapes of containers. That is, the particular prior art assembly is limited in its flexibility.

Furthermore, difficulty is faced in the specific timing necessary for the fixed front crimping surface to perform its function at the appropriate time when the rear crimper member swings into its crimping position for engaging the trailing side of the container. The front crimping member is out of position at the time the rear crimping member has completed its operation, causing shutdown delays. The problem associated with the prior art structure is especially accentuated when it is desired to run such an assembly at high speeds. Such disadvantages have made it virtually impossible to have the prior art structure to be adaptable to the covering of various sized and shaped containers.

PURPOSE OF THE INVENTION The primary object of this invention is to provide a crimping assembly that may be operated at high speeds and is capable of securely crimping a flexible cover sheet which has been folded over the rim structure of a rimmed container.

Another object of the invention is to provide a crimping assembly which may be easily adapted to various sized and shaped containers.

A further object of this invention is to overcome the disadvantages associated with prior art structure of this type.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The crimping assembly comprises a pair of feed members rotatably mounted adjacent each other for supporting and feeding a rimmed container having a flexible cover sheet folded over'the rim structure thereof. A first crimping means is used to press the folded cover sheet material beneath the leading rim of the container as it passes between the rotating feed members. A second crimping means is used for pressing the folded coversheet material beneath the trailing rim of the container, passing between the rotating feed members. The first and second crimping means are movably mounted on one of the feed members. The first and second crimping means are moved with respect to the feed member to sequentially engage the flexible cover sheet, first below the leading rim of the container and then below the trailing rim of the container.

A further feature of the invention is directed to the use of a lateral side crimping means used to press the folded cover sheet material beneath the laterally projecting container rims extending in the direction of movement of the container as it passes between rotating feed members.

Another feature of the invention is the crimping means that includes a front crimper member and means for moving the front crimper member away from the container after the folded cover sheet material has been pressed beneath the leading rim thereof. A worm and screw mechanism is used for rotating the front crimper member in its crimping position so that appropriate adjustment may be made to accommodate the desired length of container in the assembly.

Various other features include the use of removably mounted crimping pads on the crimper members. Further, removably mounted pressing segments are used in cylindrical crimping portions which may be laterally adjusted with respect to each other so that the assembly may be adapted to various widths and shapes of containers passing between the rotating feed members.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being made to the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

FIG. I is a sectional view of a rear crimper member in an assembly made in accordance with this invention;

FIG. la is a view of a linkage connecting a drive mechanism and the rear crimper member;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view along line IIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a front crimper member in an assembly made in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 3a is a view of a linkage between a drive mechanism and the front crimper member;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view along line IV-IV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of another embodiment of an assembly made in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 5a is a top plan view of a removable crimper pad used with the assembly shown in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view schematically showing the embodiment shown in FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS More specifically, a crimping assembly, generally designated Mt, includes a rear crimper member ill and a front crimper member 112. Feed members 13 and M are rotatably mounted adjacent each other for supporting and feeding a rimmed container C which has a flexible cover sheet folded over the rim structure thereof. In this particular embodiment, the feed members 13 and M are constructed as cylindrical rollers. One of the rollers constituting feed member 13 has a recess (not numbered) to receive the container C.

Only a portion of the total cylinder is used for pressing the folded cover sheet material beneath the rim of the container passing between the feed members 13 and 14 that are rotating in directions shown by arrows A and B, respectively.

The rear crimping member 11 is used to press the folded cover sheet beneath the trailing rim of a container passing between the rotating feed members 13 and 14. The front crimping member 12 is used to press the folded cover sheet material beneath the leading rim of the container as it passes between the rotating feed members 13 and 14. The crimping members 11 and 12 are movably mounted on the feed member 13.1tis necessary to move the front crimping member 12 in relationship to the rear crimping member 11 so that they each sequentially engage the flexible cover sheet first below the leading rim of the container and then below the trailing rim of the container passing between the feed members 13 and 14.

The manner in which a crimper member moves with respect to a feed member has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,116,580. The same basic crimper member moving mechanism is used in the instant case to effectuate movement of both of the crimper members 11 and 12. The important aspect of the present invention is directed to the separable and movable relationship existing between the crimper members 11 and 12.

Controlled cam discs 15 and 16 are used to provide the basic movement of the rear and front crimper members 11 and 12, respectively. A cam follower 17 moves within the cam track 21. As the cam control disc 15 rotates with respect to the feed cylinder 13, the cam follower l7 moves within the cam track 21. The rear crimper member 11 moves as a result of the connections between the links 18, 19 and 20 which effectuate the swinging movement of the rear crimper member 11 between a resting position and a crimping position. The linkage mechanism is spring biased against the cam track 21.

The control cam disc 15 is mounted on one side of the feed member 13 to drive the rear crimper member 11. The control cam disc 16 is mounted on the other side of the feed member 13 for controlling the swinging movement of the front crimper member 12. The distance between the laterally spaced cam control discs 15 and 16 may be adjusted so that various sized containers may pass between the rotating feed members.

As shown in FIG. 4, the cam control disc 16 includes a cam track 26. The cam follower 22 moves within the cam track 26 as the cam control disc 16 rotates with respect to the feed member 13. Connecting links 23, 24 and 25 operate to swing the front crimper member 12 between a swinging position and a crimping position. The linkage mechanism is spring biased against the cam track 26.

Because the crimper members 11 and 12 are separably movable, the assembly may be adapted to various sized trays. In addition, the feed rollers 13 and 14 are operating at a very rapid speed of rotation. It is necessary that the front crimper member 12 be moved out of the way of any container being pressed by the rear crimping member 11. That is, the front crimper member 12 must get out of the way very quickly so that any tray passing between the feed members 13 and 14 will not become jammed or crushed. It has been found that the timing with respect to the movement of containers between the feed rollers 13 and 14 has been greatly v simplified when using the separably movable crimper members 11 and 12.

A further feature of the invention is directed to the adjustment mechanism used in conjunction with the front crimper member 12. The adjustment mechanism includes an adjustment screw 27 which works in conjunction with a worm 28. The screw and worm mechanism is used to control the position of the crimper member 12 with respect to the adjustment disc 29. The depression 30 in the disc 29 defines the length of adjustment for the front crimper member 12.

An associated adjustment mechanism is used to adjust the control cam 16. A worm 31 which may be adjusted by a screw (not shown) will adjust the position of the cam 16 with respect to the shaft 35. A related adjustment disc 32 is fixedly attached to the control cam 16 to effect the desired movement thereof. it is possible to rotate the front crimper 12 within its crimping position through the use of the adjustment mechanism disclosed herein. That is, the relative distance between the respective crimping positions of the front and rear crimping members 12 and 13, respectively, may be adjusted so that the assembly 10 may be adapted to various sized containers.

The feed member 13 includes cylindrical crimping portions 37 and 38 which are used for pressing the folded cover sheet material beneath the laterally projecting rims extending in the direction of movement of the container. A cylindrical crimping portion 38 is disposed on one side of the feed member 13 and the crimping portion 37 is disposed on the other side of the feed member 13. The lateral side crimping means includes means for adjusting the laterally spaced distance between the laterally spaced cylindrical crimping portions 37 and 38 so that the assembly 10 may be adapted to various widths of containers passing between the rotating feed members 13 and 14. As shown, the cylindrical portions 38 and 39 may include a material such as rubber material segment 39 composed of rubber to effectuate the desired squeezing or crimping operation.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the cylindrical crimping portions may include removable pressing segments 40 which may be replaced so that the assembly may be adapted to various sized and shaped containers. This embodiment also includes a removably disposed crimping pad 41 as shown in FIG. 5a which may be connected at the end of the crimper members 11 and 12. This also facilitates the crimping assembly being adapted to various sized and shaped containers.

While the crimping assembly for rimmed containers having a flexible cover sheet has been shown and described in detail, it is obvious that this invention is not to be considered as being limited to the exact form disclosed, and that changes in detail and construction may be made therein within the scope of the invention, without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

1. A crimping assembly comprising:

a. a pair of feed members rotatably mounted adjacent each other for supporting and feeding a rimmed container having a flexible cover sheet folded over the rim structure thereof,

b. first crimping means for pressing the folded cover sheet material beneath the leading rim of the container passing between the rotating feed members,

c. second crimping means for pressing the folded cover sheet material beneath the trailing rim of the container passing between the rotating feed members,

d. said first and second crimping means being movably mounted on one of said feed members, and e. means for effecting movement of the first and second crimping means with respect to said feed member to sequentially engage the flexible cover sheet first below the leading rim of the container and then below the trailing rim of the container.

2. An assembly as defined in claim ll wherein said first crimping means includes a front crimper member and means for moving the front crimper member away from the container after the folded cover sheet material has been pressed beneath the leading rim thereof.

3. An assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein said first crimping means includes a front crimper member and means for moving the front crimper member away from the container after the folded cover sheet material has been pressed beneath the leading rim thereof,

said second crimping means includes a rear crimper member and means for moving the rear crimper member into engagment.

4. An assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein at least one of the crimper members includes a removably mounted crimping pad so that the crimping assembly may be adapted to various sized and shaped containers.

5. An assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said feed members are rollers and one of said rollers has a recess to receive the container.

6. An assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said feed members include a cylindrical portion for pressing the folded cover sheet material beneath the lateral side rim that is extending in the direction of movement of the container passing between the members.

7. An assembly as defined in claim 6 wherein said cylindrical crimping portions include removably disposed segments for crimping the folded cover sheet material beneath the lateral side rims so that the crimping assembly may be adapted to various sized and shaped containers.

8. An assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said first crimping means includes a first front crimper member movable between a pressing position and a swinging position,

said second crimping means includes a rear crimper member movable between a pressing position and a swinging position,

' said crimper members effecting the desired pressing of the folded cover sheet beneath the respective leading and trailing rims when in said respective 6 crimping positions, and

means is provided for adjusting the relative distance between the respective crimping positions of the front and rear members so that the assembly may be adapted to varioussized containers.

9. An assembly as defined in claim ll wherein said first crimping means includes a front crimper member and means for moving the front crimper member between a crimping position and a swinging position,

said first crimper member being effective to press the folded cover sheet material beneath the leading rim of the container while in said crimping position,

said first crimping means including means for adjusting the desired location of the crimping position for the first crimper member so that the crimping assembly may be adapted to various sized containers.

10. An assembly as defined in claim 9 wherein said crimp adjusting means includes a worm and screw mechanism for rotating the front crimper member in its crimping position so that appropriate adjustment may be made to accommodate the desired length of the container.

ill. A crimping assembly comprising:

a. a pair of feed members rotatably mounted adjacent each other for supporting and feeding a rimmed container having a flexible cover sheet folded over the rim structure thereof,

b. front crimping means for pressing the folded cover sheet material beneath the leading rim of the container passing between the rotating feed members,

c. rear crimping means for pressing the folded cover sheet material beneath the trailing rim of the container passing between the rotating feed members, and

d. lateral side crimping means including cylindrical crimping portions for pressing the folded cover sheet material beneath the laterally projecting rims extending in the direction of movement of the container as it passes between the rotating feed members.

ll2. An assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein a cylindrical crimping portion is disposed along each side of the feed member to crimp laterally projecting rims disposed on both sides of a container,

.said lateral side crimping means includes means for adjusting the laterally spaced distance between the laterally spaced cylindrical crimping portions so that the assembly may be adapted to various widths of the container passing between the rotating feed members.

13. An assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein said cylindrical crimping portions include removable pressing segments which may be replaced so that the assembly may be adapted to various sized and shaped containers.

t t =t 

1. A crimping assembly comprising: a. a pair of feed members rotatably mounted adjacent each other for supporting and feeding a rimmed container having a flexible cover sheet folded over the rim structure thereof, b. first crimping means for pressing the folded cover sheet material beneath the leading rim of the container passing between the rotating feed members, c. second crimping means for pressing the folded cover sheet material beneath the trailing rim of the container passing between the rotating feed members, d. said first and second crimping means being movably mounted on one of said feed members, and e. means for effecting movement of the first and second crimping means with respect to said feed member to sequentially engage the flexible cover sheet first below the leading rim of the container and then below the trailing rim of the container.
 2. An assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said first crimping means includes a front crimper member and means for moving the front crimper member away from the container after the folded cover sheet material has been pressed beneath the leading rim thereof.
 3. An assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said first crimping means includes a front crimper member and means for moving the front crimper member away from the container after the folded cover sheet material has been pressed beneath the leading rim thereof, said second crimping means includes a rear crimper member and means for moving the rear crimper member into engagement.
 4. An assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein at least one of the crimper members includes a removably mounted crimping pad so That the crimping assembly may be adapted to various sized and shaped containers.
 5. An assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said feed members are rollers and one of said rollers has a recess to receive the container.
 6. An assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said feed members include a cylindrical portion for pressing the folded cover sheet material beneath the lateral side rim that is extending in the direction of movement of the container passing between the members.
 7. An assembly as defined in claim 6 wherein said cylindrical crimping portions include removably disposed segments for crimping the folded cover sheet material beneath the lateral side rims so that the crimping assembly may be adapted to various sized and shaped containers.
 8. An assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said first crimping means includes a first front crimper member movable between a pressing position and a swinging position, said second crimping means includes a rear crimper member movable between a pressing position and a swinging position, said crimper members effecting the desired pressing of the folded cover sheet beneath the respective leading and trailing rims when in said respective crimping positions, and means is provided for adjusting the relative distance between the respective crimping positions of the front and rear members so that the assembly may be adapted to various sized containers.
 9. An assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said first crimping means includes a front crimper member and means for moving the front crimper member between a crimping position and a swinging position, said first crimper member being effective to press the folded cover sheet material beneath the leading rim of the container while in said crimping position, said first crimping means including means for adjusting the desired location of the crimping position for the first crimper member so that the crimping assembly may be adapted to various sized containers.
 10. An assembly as defined in claim 9 wherein said crimp adjusting means includes a worm and screw mechanism for rotating the front crimper member in its crimping position so that appropriate adjustment may be made to accommodate the desired length of the container.
 11. A crimping assembly comprising: a. a pair of feed members rotatably mounted adjacent each other for supporting and feeding a rimmed container having a flexible cover sheet folded over the rim structure thereof, b. front crimping means for pressing the folded cover sheet material beneath the leading rim of the container passing between the rotating feed members, c. rear crimping means for pressing the folded cover sheet material beneath the trailing rim of the container passing between the rotating feed members, and d. lateral side crimping means including cylindrical crimping portions for pressing the folded cover sheet material beneath the laterally projecting rims extending in the direction of movement of the container as it passes between the rotating feed members.
 12. An assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein a cylindrical crimping portion is disposed along each side of the feed member to crimp laterally projecting rims disposed on both sides of a container, said lateral side crimping means includes means for adjusting the laterally spaced distance between the laterally spaced cylindrical crimping portions so that the assembly may be adapted to various widths of the container passing between the rotating feed members.
 13. An assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein said cylindrical crimping portions include removable pressing segments which may be replaced so that the assembly may be adapted to various sized and shaped containers. 